Author Topic: refinishing urethane (Read 10580 times)

r534me · « **on:** April 14, 2011, 08:42:06 AM »

I have a used blue hammer and a black u dot I am refinishing and I am wondering what steps to use. My driller recommended starting with 320 Grit sand paper. How long should I use that? The ball has a fews years of bowling on them. After the track has been cleaned up with grits are next?

Thanks!

Edited by r534me on 6/14/2011 at 10:28 PM

r534me · « **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2011, 10:19:22 AM »

I remember polishing mine and it was a pretty good ball when it worked. But back in the day, I played the dry so it probably didn't work because I didn't know how to properly bowl. Well, I guess it was proper then.

Juggernaut wrote on 4/15/2011 8:51 AM:
Ahhhh the Phantom. No, I never actually OWNED one, but I did throw a few. First one I ever saw, the guy who ran the shop bought one. He drilled it for a medium reaction, but that thing wouldn't even make it to the pins before hitting the gutter.

It flared about 2-3inches and wanted to hook in the heads. He sold it to a cranker who ultra polished it, but threw it about 18mph. He just killed stuff with it.

r534me wrote on 4/15/2011 2:27 AM:

I remember lots of people axis weighting their blue hammers. I think they drilled out the pin to do that...not 100% sure of that.

Did you ever have a Phantom? I had two and no one could figure out how to drill them.

r534me · « **Reply #17 on:** April 18, 2011, 12:10:36 AM »

Hit both balls with 320 grit today and it was like a sand storm. I wet sanded it after awhile. I got most of the surface scratches out. Only the deep ones remain. Likely, it was drilled for a right hander and most of the track is away from the left. There are some though..might have been used by a lefty at some point. Anyway, going to have them plugged in the summer and I am going to practice with them. What a tandem!

r534me · « **Reply #18 on:** June 14, 2011, 12:20:48 AM »

I put the blue into my home made oil revivior for about 20 minutes and no oil came out of it. That is surprising because in that short period of time the resins would show a blob of oil seeping out. I might try it again but leave it in longer. It gets up to about 130 degrees or so.

I've used it almost a month now and except for today I has worked well on house shots and even the slightly burned up nationals shot. I almost got an honor score out of it Saturday in league but I goofed up the 11th ball and unlike resin there is no recovery.

charlest wrote on 4/15/2011 8:08 AM:FWIW I recall one set of tested data back in the 90s, comparing urethane absorption rates to resins (keep in mind that resins seem to absorb oil much faster now!). The results were that urethane absorbed oil at a ratio of 20:1 slower than resins.

Also keep in mind that urethane don't hook by absorbing oil. Theirs is strictly based on surface, as far as I know. and the key here is that they DO absorb oil. After years of use, it might be a good idea to try an oil extraction on yours. Who knows how little or how much might come out.

Still a good idea to clean every ball after use. If the oil is still lying there on top of the surface, like with urethane and plastic, then it will be easy to remove.

r534me wrote on 4/14/2011 7:47 PM:I was wondering if they did or didn't absorb oil. Very good tip. I will heat it up and see if anything comes out. The blue hammer's serial number in the begins with a 94. I guess that means it was made in 1994? I am not sure where the pin is on it.

"None are so blind as those who will not see."
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dizzyfugu · « **Reply #19 on:** June 14, 2011, 06:04:53 AM »

I am certain that an original Faball Blue Hammer will not bleed anything at all. These things are hard, tough, non-porous, built to last, and old-school urethane won't soak up any oil at all. I guess you'd rather kill the ball than extract anything from it?

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

r534me · « **Reply #20 on:** June 14, 2011, 09:08:49 AM »

I baked it before I tossed the 10 bagger in league. Apparently, the heat didn't affect the ball at all. It still hits like a truck. It can grab too early and it needs some oil in the heads for it to work well..or loft. I found that out the other day. The new blue hammer should be better in that respect because of the cover.

dizzyfugu wrote on 6/14/2011 6:04 AM:
I am certain that an original Faball Blue Hammer will not bleed anything at all. These things are hard, tough, non-porous, built to last, and old-school urethane won't soak up any oil at all. I guess you'd rather kill the ball than extract anything from it?

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany

Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

dougb · « **Reply #21 on:** June 14, 2011, 09:08:29 PM »

I also have a homemade ball oven and never got anything out of a few Blue Hammers I've tried.

As for the OP's original question, let me add another: how do you polish these things?

dizzyfugu wrote on 6/14/2011 6:04 AM:I am certain that an original Faball Blue Hammer will not bleed anything at all. These things are hard, tough, non-porous, built to last, and old-school urethane won't soak up any oil at all. I guess you'd rather kill the ball than extract anything from it?

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

r534me · « **Reply #22 on:** June 14, 2011, 09:32:54 PM »

Have you changed the grit of the coverstock yet? I've heard that old urethane balls take forever to polish. What that translate into time I have no idea. I guess it would be easier than finding a pearl hammer.

dougb wrote on 6/14/2011 9:08 PM:I also have a homemade ball oven and never got anything out of a few Blue Hammers I've tried.

As for the OP's original question, let me add another: how do you polish these things?
dizzyfugu wrote on 6/14/2011 6:04 AM:I am certain that an original Faball Blue Hammer will not bleed anything at all. These things are hard, tough, non-porous, built to last, and old-school urethane won't soak up any oil at all. I guess you'd rather kill the ball than extract anything from it?

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

dougb · « **Reply #23 on:** June 14, 2011, 10:00:10 PM »

I have one I bought plugged and had it redrilled at a pro shop up in Oregon and it was polished. I have hundreds and hundreds of games on it since then (plus I use it as a spare ball) and it's starting to get that telltale greenish hue that happens when these balls start to absorb some oil in the cover.

One guy told me to gradually go up in the sandpaper grits (start at 320 and move through all the grits to 1200) then lay the compound on really heavy with a lot of pressure... possibly even multiple coats. I might throw it on the spinner and give it a try.

r534me wrote on 6/14/2011 9:32 PM:Have you changed the grit of the coverstock yet? I've heard that old urethane balls take forever to polish. What that translate into time I have no idea. I guess it would be easier than finding a pearl hammer.

dougb wrote on 6/14/2011 9:08 PM:I also have a homemade ball oven and never got anything out of a few Blue Hammers I've tried.

As for the OP's original question, let me add another: how do you polish these things?
dizzyfugu wrote on 6/14/2011 6:04 AM:I am certain that an original Faball Blue Hammer will not bleed anything at all. These things are hard, tough, non-porous, built to last, and old-school urethane won't soak up any oil at all. I guess you'd rather kill the ball than extract anything from it?

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

r534me · « **Reply #24 on:** June 14, 2011, 10:13:27 PM »

That should be interesting to see how long it takes to polish it. I was thinking of taking the cover up up to 1k to get it a little longer down lane but so far I have been able to use it the way it is. One house with a wet/dry pattern gave me some angle issues but since I don't go there that often and my resins work there I am reluctant to change it. I have a black u dot I am going to have plugged. I am going to see if my ps guy can use the morich plastic ball drilling on it.

dougb wrote on 6/14/2011 10:00 PM:I have one I bought plugged and had it redrilled at a pro shop up in Oregon and it was polished. I have hundreds and hundreds of games on it since then (plus I use it as a spare ball) and it's starting to get that telltale greenish hue that happens when these balls start to absorb some oil in the cover.

One guy told me to gradually go up in the sandpaper grits (start at 320 and move through all the grits to 1200) then lay the compound on really heavy with a lot of pressure... possibly even multiple coats. I might throw it on the spinner and give it a try.
r534me wrote on 6/14/2011 9:32 PM:Have you changed the grit of the coverstock yet? I've heard that old urethane balls take forever to polish. What that translate into time I have no idea. I guess it would be easier than finding a pearl hammer.

dougb wrote on 6/14/2011 9:08 PM:I also have a homemade ball oven and never got anything out of a few Blue Hammers I've tried.

As for the OP's original question, let me add another: how do you polish these things?
dizzyfugu wrote on 6/14/2011 6:04 AM:I am certain that an original Faball Blue Hammer will not bleed anything at all. These things are hard, tough, non-porous, built to last, and old-school urethane won't soak up any oil at all. I guess you'd rather kill the ball than extract anything from it?

DizzyFugu - Reporting from Germany
Confused by bowling? Check out BR.com's vault of wisdom: the unofficial FAQ section

Author Topic: refinishing urethane (Read 10580 times)

r534me

refinishing urethane

r534me

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dizzyfugu

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